Four Christmas Demons
by Uncle Charlie
Summary: People with dyslexia should be careful when writing their wish list. Part four of the 12 Fics of Christmas


For Reapermum.

Buffy watched her boots as she kicked through the leaves. She loved the butter soft leather and the way they made her ankles look so slender, but she was sort of wishing she'd wore heavier socks. Inside the stylish boots, her feet were freezing.

"I can't believe that Giles is making us patrol tonight," she muttered, drawing a look of surprise from her best friend, Willow. "It's freezing out."

Willow was sensibly dressed in a thick sweater, a scarf and warm boots. "Maybe it's got something to do with building up your character."

"I got plenty of character. I'm oozing with character." She stamped her feet.

"Ya got that right and all of it bad." Spike stepped out from behind a tree.

Buffy brandished her stake. "Just give me a reason, Spike."

"Cor, Slayer, you're in a mood."

"She's cold," Willow offered, pulling her muffler tighter around her throat. The fact that Spike was chipped an unable to harm a human didn't make her feel any safer around the vampire.

"So I am. So what?"

"You're dead, I'm… not yet." Buffy startled as she suddenly found Spike's duster around her shoulders. It smelled of liquor and smoke and something that was undeniably Spike. Her stomach did an odd flip flop and she nearly ripped it off. But it was warm and she wasn't."

"Thanks," she mumbled and Spike shrugged his shoulder.

"Not like I need it." He took one last long drag on his cigarette and tossed the butt into the gutter. "What are you two doing out on a night like this?"

"It's Giles. He's… anxious." It wasn't exactly the word Buffy wanted, but it was better than the other one on the tip of her tongue. "He doesn't like Christmas."

"He's probably got on one for the Krampus." Spike looked around. The cooler-than-average weather had driven just about everyone inside. The homes were brightly decked out with twinkling lights and evergreen trees that glowed under the weight of the ornaments. Garland and festive decorations made doorways and lawns welcoming, unless you were a member of the undead, of course. He felt an ache that he thought was long dead, of sitting with his mother around their Christmas trees, sharing their small but adequate dinner and gifts, happy and – Fingers snapped in front of his nose and he jumped. "What?"

"I said, what is a klampus, Spike?" Buffy's voice was sharp, but Willow was looking at him sympathetically, as if understanding him. There was a side to the young witch, a power, he respected.

"A clampus is a boozer, Slayer. The Krampus, he's a right nasty bit of work."

"That's very helpful, thank you."

"All right, think of your St. Nick."

"Santa?"

"Him, too. Everything that St Nick is, the Krampus is the opposite. He brings coal and punishes bad children. You don't want to be seeing him coming down your chimney."

"My God, is there a demon for everything?" Buffy nearly slipped on a patch of ice and Spike caught her. For a moment, all was frozen in time and a tender look came into Spike's eyes. Buffy pulled away from him.

"Well, yeah, I-" Spike held up his hand and looked around. He closed his eyes and took a breath. "Do you smell that?"

Buffy tried. "All I smell is smoke. Somebody's burning something really rank."

"That's not human." Spike took off on a run, startling both Buffy and Willow, who immediately raced after him.

He led them to one of Sunnydale's many cemeteries and Buffy could see flames. Instantly, she headed towards them, but Spike grabbed her.

"Let go of me." She struggled for a moment, then felt slightly lightheaded. Closing her eyes, she felt like she was flying. Then she was overwhelmed by a sense of being safe and warm.

She opened her eyes and both she and Willow were clinging to spike and he had his coat over them. He looked a little fried around the edges and he was shivering.

"It's okay, Slayer, just breathe. C'mon, Red, up and at 'em." he murmured.

"Spike, what happened?" Willow managed after a moment.

"We just had a little visit from The Krampus is what. Thankfully for you two, St. Nick wasn't far behind."

"You mean… Santa?" Buffy's voice took on a little girl quality. "Santa is real?"

"Yer talkin' to a vampire and askin' if something is real?" Spike shook his head. "You never ceased to amaze me… What's that?"

"Nice try, Spike."

"I'm serious. I see someone… alive."

Buffy broke from his embrace and ran toward where the smoldering spot. In the center of the scorched earth was a little girl. She was holding something that was brown and squirming. It looked like a giant grub and it was growling.

"Sweetie, you need to put that down and come to me." Buffy gestured to her and the girl turned away, hugging the thing even tighter. Buffy took a step towards her and the thing in the child's arms turned towards her and snarled.

"What the hell?"

"Shame on you, Slayer. Don't you know a dramorphus demon when you see one?"

"A who?"

"The watcher is falling down on the job. It's a dramorphus demon."

Willow joined them and gasped. "It's getting ready to attack her."

"Rubbish. It's just purring, that's all. You get on the good side of one of those things and you got a friend for life."

Spike took a step towards her and held out his hand. "C'mon, bite size, let's get you home."

"Puppy." She held the squirming demon towards him. Spike nodded politely to it and it cocked its head, looking over at Buffy and Willow.

"Oh, they're all right, but we need to get out of here."

It didn't seem to strike the child at all odd that Spike was talking to her 'puppy.' Spike offered her his hand and the child shifting the demon to her shoulder and took the hand.

"You're cold," she said as they walked. "Mommy will give you something warm to drink. My name's Amy. What's yours?"

"Sp… William, my name is William." Spike looked back at Buffy and Willow. "I'm just gonna."

"Bye, Spike. Bye, Amy. Merry Christmas."

"Talk about the magic of Christmas," Willow linked arms with Buffy. "It's like _Charlie Brown Christmas, It's a Wonderful Life_ and…"

" _Legend of Hell House_ all rolled into one." A piece of paper caught her eye and Buffy scooped it up.

 _Dear Satan;_

 _Please bring me a puppy for Christmas. My daddy has gone and my mommy cries a lot. I want a fiend to love._

 _Merry Christmas,_

 _Amy_

Willow smiled happily. "Guess that's what happens when you get Santa and Satan mixed up."

Amy looked back at them and smiled, then there was a flash of green light in her eyes. Buffy knew instantly that little girl was not what she seemed. "Oh, I don't know. I think she got just what she wanted for Christmas. Let's go see if Mom has any hot chocolate left."


End file.
